Multiple outlet water discharge head with internal flow distributing baffle



Jan. 31, 1967 J o. HRUBY, JR 3,301,490

MULTIPLE OUTLET WATER DISCHARGE HEAD WITH INTERNAL FLOW DISTRIBUTINGBAFFLE Filed Dec. 7, 1964 John 0. Hmfig/r.

INVENTOR.

Beak/er 4! /ram If fo r neys United States Patent C) 3,301,490 MULTIPLEOUTLET WATER DISCHARGE HEAD WITH INTERNAL FLOW DISTRIBUTING BAFFLE John0. Hruby, In, Burbank, Calif, assignor, by mesne assignments, to RainJet Corp., Burbank, Calif. Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,252 4Claims. (Cl. 239-227) This invention relates generally to improvementsin ornamental fountain discharge heads of the kind which arecharacterized by a discharge member having a stem disposedlongitudinally within a body and adapted for gyration about a verticalaxis of the body with the axis of the stem inclined to the body axis.The invention has more particular reference to an improved multipleoutlet discharge head of this kind which is equipped with a uniqueinternal flow distributing baffle for effecting uniform flow of water toand eliminate pulsing of the water emerging through the several outletsof the head.

There is currently available on the market a water discharge headincluding a tubular body containing a discharge member having a tubularstem, the lower end of which extends through a cylindrical bearing inthe lower end of the body. The internal diameter of this bearing issomewhat larger than the external diameter of the stem, such that thedischarge member is adapted for gyration about the longitudinal axis ofthe body with the longitudinal axis of the stem inclined to the bodyaxis, in such manner that the stem traces a geometric figure known as ahyperboloid of one sheet. The upper end of the stem projects externallyof the body through an enlarged outlet in the upper end of the body.Mounted on the upper, external end of the stem is an enlarged manifoldchamber having a number of spaced outlets with upwardly diverging axes.

In operation of the discharge head, the latter is mounted in an uprightposition in communication with a source of water under pressure. Aportion of the water entering the head flows into the body, about theexterior of the stern, through a number of tangential openings in thewall of the bodyand then flows upwardly through the body to its upperoutlet. The tangential attitude of the openings through which the waterenters the body causes the water to swirl upwardly through the body,thereby imparting a gyratory motion to the discharge member. During thisgyratory motion, the discharge member rolls along an inner surface ofthe body and thereby acquires a simultaneous rotational motion about theaxis of its stem. The remaining water entering the discharge head flowsupwardly through the stem to the manifold chamber at the upper end ofthe stem and then out through the several outlets leading from thechamber. In order to facilitate the ensuing description of theinvention, the water which flows upwardly through the body, about theoutside of the stem, is hereinafter referred to as stem driving water,or simply driving water," and the water which flows upwardly through thestem is referred to as stem water.

The water discharge head under discussion is used to create anornamental water fountain display including a lower level fountain whichis formed by the stern driving water emerging radially from around theexterior of the gyrating-rotating manifold chamber and an upper levelfountain which is formed by stem water emerging upwardly from theseveral diverging outlets of the chamber. The combined gyratory androtary motion of the discharge member is effective to break the emergingwater into discrete droplets which follow upwardly arching, outwardlyradiating paths from the discharge head. The gyratory motion of themanifold chamber causes the vertical angle of emergence of the sterndriving water from 3,301,490 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 the discharge headto cyclically increase and decrease progressively throughout a full 360of the discharge head. The combined gyratory and rotary motion of thechamber causes a progressive, cyclic variation in the angle ofemergence, relative to the vertical axis of the discharge head, of thestreams of stem water from the several outlets in the chamber and asimultaneous epicyclic progression of the emerging water streams aboutsaid axis. These actions combine to produce a highly spirited, unusual,and esthetically pleasing ornamental fountain dis play.

The existing ornamental fountain discharge head of the kind underdiscussion, however, is defective in one respect. This defect resides inthe fact that there is a tendency for the stern water which enters themanifold chamber of the gyrating and rotating discharge member to flowin non-uniform and somewhat intermittent fashion to the several outletsfrom the chamber. This nonuniform and intermittent distribution of thewater to the outlets, in turn, results in pulsing of the water emergingthrough the outlets which destroys the symmetry of the water fountain,and produces other esthetically unpleasing aberations in the fountain.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved,ornamental fountain discharge head of the character described which isfree of the defect discussed above.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improvedornamental fountain discharge head of the character described having aninternal flow distributing baffle within the manifold chamber of thegyratory-rotary discharge member, which bafile is effective to causeuniform flow of water to the several outlets of the chamber andeliminate pulsing of the water emerging through the outlets.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of theinvention, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafterset forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an improved ornamental fountaindischarge head according to the invention and showing the head installedon a riser for conveying waterunder pressure to the head;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the flow distributing baffle and certainother parts of the discharge head shown in FIGURES l and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of the baffle per se.

The improved ornamental fountain discharge head of this invention, as itis represented in the drawings, is designated in its entirety by thereference numeral 10. The head comprises a tubular body 12 including anouter sleeve 14 and a coaxial inner sleeve 16 which extends through andbeyond the normally lower end of the outer sleeve. The upper end of theinner sleeve 16 has an external, annular flange 18 which is rigidlysecured to and peripherally sealed to the outer sleeve 14. The innersleeve flange 18 is located intermediate the ends of the outer sleeve,thereby to define above the flange a well 20 which opens to the upperend of the outer sleeve 14. The outer sleeve is internally threaded at22, below the inner sleeve flange 18. In the wall of the inner sleeve 16are a number of slots 24 which open tangentially to the interior of theinner sleeve and define water inlets to the sleeve interior. The purposeof these inlets will be explained presently.

Axially positioned within the tubular body 12 is a rotary andoscillatory discharge member 26. This discharge member comprises a lowertubular stem 28 which extends through and below the lower end of theinner sleeve 16 of the body 12. Fixed on the lower end of the stem 28,below the lower end of the inner sleeve 16, is a collar 30. Fixed to theupper end of the stem 28, within the well 20, is a cylindrical manifoldchamber 32. The upper end of this chamber projects a distance above theupper end of the outer body sleeve 14 and is radially enlarged above thesleeve to form a radial flange 34 on the chamber. The diameter of themanifold chamber 32, below the flange 34, is substantially smaller thanthe internal diameter of the body well 20. The diameter of the stem 28is substantially smaller than the internal diameter of the inner sleeve16 of the body 12.

Fixed in the lower end of the inner sleeve 16 is a bearing 36. The stem28 extends through a coaxial bore 38 in this bearing. The diameter ofthe bearing bore 38 is slightly larger than the external diameter of thestem, whereby the latter has a loose fit in the bearing 36. The collar30 fixed to the lower end of the stem 38 is engageable with the bushing36 to limit upward movement of the discharge member 26 relative to thetubular body 12. The lower end of the stem 28 is open.

The upper end of the manifold chamber 32 is open and internallyrabetted, as shown at 40. Positioned in this open end of the chamber isa wall 42 which seats against the upwardly presented, annular shoulder44 defined by the chamber rabbet 40. The wall 42 is retained in positionin the chamber by a number of circumferentially spaced washers 46 whichproject radially in over the wall 42 and are secured to the manifoldchamber 32 by screws 48. Preferably, the wall 42 has a tight, butremovable fit in the open upper end of the manifold chamber to restrictor prevent water leakage between the wall and chamber.

Extending through the upper wall 42 of the manifold chamber 32 are anumber of water outlets which, in the illustrated discharge head, aredefined by a central tubular spout 50 and three tubular outer spouts 52.The central spout 50 extends centrally through the upper manifoldchamber wall 42, along the common central axis of the chamber and thestem 28. The three outer spouts 52 are uniformly spaced about thecentral spout and diverge radially away from the central spout, at anacute angle relative thereto, toward the upper ends of the spouts.

The ornamental fountain discharge head 10, as it is thus far described,is conventional. In use, the outer sleeve 14 of the tubular body 12 ofthe head is threaded on the upper end of the riser 54 which connects toa source of water under pressure. A portion of the water which entersthe discharge head from the riser flows through the tangential inlets 24in the inner sleeve 16 of the body 12. This water, which is the stemdriving water referred to earlier, swirls upwardly through the interiorof the inner sleeve 16, then radially out between the upper surface ofthe inner sleeve flange 18 and the lower surface of the manifold chamber32, then upwardly between the inner surface of the well and the outersurface of the chamber, and is finally discharged upwardly and radiallyfrom the head through the space between the upper edge of the body outersleeve 14 and the manifold chamber flange 34. The undersurface of theflange 34 is preferably formed with a number of circumferentially spacednotches 56 having upwardly sloping bottom walls. These notches areeffective to direct the stem driving water emerging from the dischargehead outwardly from the head along a number of upwardly arching,circumferentially spaced paths. The remainder of the water entering thedischarge head 10 from the riser 54 flows upwardly through the stem 28of the discharge member 26 into the manifold chamber 32 and isdischarged from the head through the tubular spouts 50 and 52. The waterwhich thus flows upwardly through the discharge member is the stem waterreferred to earlier. The stem water which enters the central spout 50 isdischarged upwardly along the axis of the discharge member 26 to form acentral spire of water. The stem water which enters the three outerspouts 52 is discharged therefrom along three upwardly arching,outwardly radiating paths.

It is apparent, of course, that the water which flows upwardly throughthe discharge head 10 urges the discharge member 26 upwardly to itsupper limiting position wherein the collar 30 on the lower end of thestem 28 engages the stem bearing 36. The stem driving water which entersthe inner sleeve 16 of the tubular body 12, because of its swirlingmotion as it flows upwardly through the sleeve, urges the dischargemember 26 laterally to a position in which the outer cylindrical surfaceof the manifold chamber 32 rests against the inner cylindrical surfaceof the well 20, whereby the axis of the discharge member is inclined atan acute angle to the axis of the tubular body 12, and imparts agyratory motion to the discharge member about the axis of the tubularbody. This gyratory motion of the discharge member is such that thecentral axis of the member traces a geometric figure known as ahyperboloid of one sheet having its construction point at the stembearing 36. During this gyratory motion of the discharge member, thecylindrical wall of the manifold chamber 32 rolls along the cylindricalsurface of the well 20, thereby imparting a rotation to the dischargemember about its central axis. Thus, the discharge member 26 undergoesboth a gyratory motion about the central axis of the tubular body 12 anda rotational motion about its own axis.

The net result of these several actions involved in the operation of theornamental fountain discharge head 10 is to provide a fountain displayincluding a lower level fountain formed by the stem driving water whichemerges radially from between the upper edge of the body sleeve 14 andthe manifold chamber flange 34 and an upper level formed by the stemwater which emerges from the four tubular spouts 50, 52. The gyratoryand rotational motion of the discharge member 26 breaks up the wateremerging from the discharge head into discrete droplets and, inaddition, imparts various progressive and cyclic direction changes androtational motions to the several streams of water, or more accurately,streams of water droplets, emerging from the discharge head. As aconsequence of these several actions, there is produced a highlyspirited water fountain of unusual and very est-hetically pleasingappearance.

As noted earlier, the existing fountain discharge head of the characterdescribed above is defective for the reason that the stem water whichenters the manifold chamber 32 flows non-uniformly and in somewhatintermittent fashion to the several water outlets or outlet spouts 50-,'52 leading from the chamber. This non-uniform and intermittentdistribution of water to the several outlets causes undesirable pulsingof the water emerging through the outlets.

According to the present invention, this defect of the existing fountaindischarge head is cured by placing a flow equalizing or distributingbaffle 58 in the manifold chamber 32. It has been determined by actualexperiment that this baffle is effective to cause uniform distributionof water to all of the outlets from the manifold chamber and eliminatepulsing of water emerging through the outlets. The flow distributingbaflle 58 shown comprises a sleeve 60 which is fixed on the lower end ofthe central spout 50, the latter projecting below the upper manifoldchamber 'wall 42 for this purpose. On the lower end of the baffllesleeve 60 is an external annular flange 62 having a lower conicallytapered surface 64. This surface presents itself toward the stem waterentering the manifold chamber 32 from the stem 28. Fixed within thelower end of the central spout 50 is a flow restrictor 66 having acentral water passage 68 of somewhat smaller diameter than the passagethrough the central spout.

In operation of the illustrated fountain discharge head 10, a portion ofthe stem water flowing upwardly through the stem 28 of the dischargemember 26 flows directly into the center spout 50 through the flowrestrictor 66 therein. The remainder of the stern water entering themanifold chamber 32 encounters the lower conically tapered surface '64of the flow distributing baffle 58. This surface deflects the stem waterradially out toward the outer spouts 52 in substantially uniform fashionthroughout a full 360 of the bafile in a way which has been found to beeffective to smooth out the water flow to and eliminate pulsing of thewater emerging through the several spouts.

It is apparent, of course, that owing to the axial alignment of thelower end of the central spout 50 with the upper end of the stem 28, andthe proximate location of the lower end of the spout to the upper end ofthe stem, the ram effect of the stem water entering the manifold chamber32 from the stem 28 tends to cause a somewhat greater fiow of waterthrough the central spout than the three outer spouts. The reducedpassage 68 in the flow restrictor 66 is proportioned to restrict thewater flow through the central spout sufficiently to compensate for thisram effect.

While the invention has herein been shown and described in what isconceived to be its most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace anyand all equivalent devices.

Having described the invention, What is claimed as new in support ofLetters Patent is:

1. An ornamental fountain discharge head comprising a manifold chamberhaving a water inlet in its lower end and having in its upper end anumber of tubular water outlet passageways, one outlet passageway beinglocated substantially in axial alignment with said inlet, others of saidoutlet passageways having entrance ends spaced radially outwardly fromsaid one outlet passageway and extending angularly outwardly, said oneoutlet passageway having a portion including an entrance end extendinginto said chamber to a location spaced inwardly of the entrance ends ofthe others of said outlet passageways, said entrance end including acentral opening aligned with said inlet and a flow distributing bafllecomprising a frusto-conical tapered surface on said portion surroundingsaid opening and with the apex thereof facing toward said inlet.

2. An ornamental fountain according to claim 1 wherein there is atubular body having an inner surface of a passageway therethroughsurrounding and spaced from the exterior of said manifold chamber, andan annular outlet from said last passageway surrounding the exterior ofsaid manifold chamber.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein: at least said one outlet isdefined by a tubular spout which rojects into said chamber and towardssaid inlet, and said bafile being mounted on the inner end of saidspout.

4. In an ornamental fountain discharge head comprising a tubular body, atubular stem axially mounted in said body for gyration about the centralaxis of said body with the axis of the stem inclined to said body axis,the upper end of said stem extending to the exterior of said bodythrough an enlarged outlet in the upper end of the body, means foreffecting gyration of said stern by water flowing through said body, amanifold chamber on the upper end of said stem externally of said body,an inlet passage extending axially through said stern into said chamber,and a number of discharge spouts extending from the upper end of saidchamber including one spout having its lower end located substantiallydirectly opposite said stern passage, the improvements comprising: anannular baflie within said chamber mounted on the lower end of said onespout and having a conically tapered surface about said one spout andpresented toward said stem passage for eliminating pulsing of the wateremerging from said chamber through said spouts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,592 9/1926Sladden 23917 1,824,518 9/ 1931 Vedovelli 23920 2,823,952 2/1958 Hruby239-227 2,954,171 9/1960 Hruby 239227 3,030,028 4/1962 Hruby 239173,081,036 3/1963 Hruby 23917 3,110,443 11/1963 Hruby 239-17 3,151,81110/1964- Hruby 239-17 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ORNAMENTAL FOUNTAIN DISCHARGE HEAD COMPRISING A MANIFOLD CHAMBERHAVING A WATER INLET IN ITS LOWER END AND HAVING IN ITS UPPER END ANUMBER OF TUBULAR WATER OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS, ONE OUTLET PASSAGEWAY BEINGLOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID INLET, OTHERS OF SAIDOUTLET PASSAGEWAYS HAVING ENTRANCE ENDS SPACED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROMSAID ONE OUTLET PASSAGEWAY AND EXTENDING ANGULARLY OUTWARDLY, SAID ONEOUTLET PASSAGEWAY HAVING A PORTION INCLUDING AN ENTRANCE END EXTENDINGINTO SAID CHAMBER TO A LOCATION SPACED INWARDLY OF THE ENTRANCE ENDS OFTHE OTHERS OF SAID OUTLET PASSAGEWAYS, SAID ENTRANCE END INCLUDING ACENTRAL OPENING ALIGNED WITH SAID INLET AND A FLOW DISTRIBUTING BAFFLECOMPRISING A FRUSTO-CONICAL TAPERED SURFACE ON SAID PORTION SURROUNDINGSAID OPENING AND WITH THE APEX THEREOF FACING TOWARD SAID INLET.